Measuring Love
by m00shrum
Summary: [DISCONTINUED]
1. Before It All Started

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Before It All Started

Sugoroku pushed his way through the crowded heat of the Egyptian markets, holding a heavy jingling leather sack. Panting heavily, he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the dripping sweat off his brow. This was one of the only places in Egypt where the rich and the poor mingled; farmers and jewelers were lined next to each other and just about anything could be found if you searched long enough.

Suddenly, the old man was violently shoved aside. He looked up to find himself in the middle of an angry mob. Glancing around frantically, his eyes landed on a stern little man at the fruit stand, hurling swear words in rapid Arabic at a small figure on the ground who looked nearly beaten to death by the masses. Squeezing in a little further, Sugoroku could catch a clear view of the scene.

He watched as the men's fists collided into the feeble body over and over again until he finally couldn't take the sight anymore. Drawing out the handgun from his belt, he made his way through the swarm of people.

"Move aside!" he ordered, raising the gun to shoot.

The men quickly scrambled out of the way, revealing the center of attention.

It was a skinny and dark little boy who had just lost his front baby tooth, kneeling on the ground with his head raised in defiance, cradling several apples in his arms. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old. Harsh bruises and cuts covered the young naked body. But that wasn't what caught Sugoroku's attention. It was the strikingly familiar thick crown of dark red hair adorned with golden streaks.

He placed his sack on the ground and offered a hand to the boy, who gratefully took it. "Are you all right, son?" he asked gently.

The boy nodded wordlessly, and as he lifted his eyes, Sugoroku noticed they were a brilliant shade of crimson.

"Don't help him!" someone yelled out from the crowd. "He's a thief possessed by the devil!"

Sugoroku chose to ignore this as he knelt in front of the boy, examining him closely. "What's your name?" he asked, smiling kindly as he raised his hand to stroke the boy's hair affectionately. "You remind me of my grandson."

"Atemu," the boy answered quietly.

Sugoroku pointed to the fruits in the boy's hands. "Did you take these apples from the fruit stand, Atemu?"

"Yes, sir," Atemu said truthfully, his voice unwavering. "I was hungry."

"Do you have a home?"

The boy shifted around uncomfortably. "I live here. The streets are my home."

Sugoroku sighed and reached into his sack for his wallet. "I'll pay for the apples he stole," he said to the man at the fruit stand. "Just don't hurt him again. He's still young."

The man snatched the money from Sugoroku's hand and went back to work, pretending none of this had happened. The people in the market, however, were not satisfied.

"The boy will just steal again," a cloaked woman pointed out. "This is not the first time."

"Then what do you expect to be done with this boy?" Sugoroku asked calmly. From the corner of his eye, he could see the boy taking large bites out of one of the apples, cupping the fruit to his mouth with both hands as if it were a precious jewel. "He's an honest boy, and steals merely to keep himself alive. What harm is he to you?"

"Look at his eyes! He's possessed!" someone cried out. "And you are too if you cannot see that!"

At this comment, the crowd went wild, and Sugoroku soon found himself being attacked by at least fifty men before he had the chance to ready his gun. In his shock, the sack in his hand slipped from his fingers and out of sight. It was almost impossible to tell the target of the stampede, and Sugoroku found himself on the ground, covering his head with his arms. Suddenly, a familiar black object in the dirt next to him caught his eye. Taking his only chance, he grabbed the gun and threw a random shot in the air.

The men froze, and within minutes, there was not one person left on the same street. Even the merchants had left their stands behind. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sugoroku stood and dusted himself off, looking around for his sack. Fortunately, it was still lying on the ground, the mouth slightly open. He steadily walked over and picked it up, counting the gleaming heavy contents inside.

There was one piece missing.

Feeling somewhat worried, the old man looked around, but there was nothing in sight except for a few stones and broken glass lying around. Just as he was about to count the pieces again, he heard a light shuffling of feet behind the fruit stand.

It was Atemu, and in his hand was the golden object Sugoroku was looking for.

"Come here, Atemu," Sugoroku said firmly. "Hand me the puzzle piece."

Atemu hesitantly took a few steps forward before backing away again. "No," he said meekly, clasping the gold tightly against his bare chest. The old man suddenly felt a pang of pity for the boy as he realized the boy had nothing, not even clothes to wear. "I found it."

For a moment, Sugoroku thought of letting the boy keep it, but changed his mind. "It belongs in my pouch, Atemu," he said, as he took out another similar piece of gold from the sack, "along with the rest of the pieces."

A heavy miserable look clouded over the boy's crimson eyes as he reluctantly walked forward and dropped the puzzle piece into Sugoroku's hand. Without looking up, he turned to leave with his thin arms wrapped around his torso.

"Atemu."

Atemu spun around silently as he heard the old man call his name.

"Would you like to come with me?" Sugoroku asked. He hadn't planned on this, but his heart was filled with pity for the boy. Besides, he missed his only grandson dearly. "I run a game shop in Japan. You'll be able to see the cars and bright city lights. My plane leaves in the afternoon, so you can still come if we hurry." He watched as the boy's eyes widened in hope, shining like two lively rubies.

"Please, sir," Atemu whispered weakly. "I'd love to go."

Sugoroku smiled warmly. "Come, let's get you something to wear outside these markets." He took the boy's hand in his own and continued on his way just as he had before.

Only this time, he was bringing along someone who would change everything.

- - -

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Note: Okay, I've been wanting to write this story since forever, and I was about to burst from thinking about for so long. So here it is: the first chapter/story of the big thing. Atemu (or Yami) is eight at the moment, and Yuugi (who you will meet next chapter) is five. The goal of the story is to get the reader really attached to both characters, I guess. It's also to give a different approach to their relationship, since a lot of AUs usually make Yami into this sexy possessive guy who meets Yuugi in their later years and they hit it off immediately.

Yami - Something wrong with my sexy and possessive side?

Yuugi - …no, not at all. In fact, I like it.

Lanlan - Yeah, Yuugi's right. I'm just trying to hard to be original.

Yami - That had better be the case… _(evil glare)_

Don't worry, I haven't given up on _Love, Yuugi_. And I definitely won't be giving it up anytime soon. Anyway, you guys like the new idea? Any suggestions? Corrections on my grammar/spelling? Please review! Thanks! =]


	2. Atemu's Promise

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Atemu's Promise

"…which is why my daughter-in-law is taking my grandson to live with his new father." Sugoroku sighed as he finished his story, and Atemu could see a flicker of pain in his eyes. "Maybe you'll meet him someday."

Atemu shifted around in the foreign car seat, watching in fascination as the trees whizzed by. A strangely-shaped button under the window caught his eye and he pressed down on it, shrinking back in fear as the glass began to lower itself. The icy wind wasn't nearly as welcoming as the Egyptian sun, and he fumbled with the newly discovered control to close the window. As the glass rose back up, he could hear the old man chuckling in amusement. He quickly wiped the shock off his face as he turned back to the scenery outside.

For a moment, it was silent again. The car decelerated as it turned the exit, only to find itself on another highway that looked just like the last. Sugoroku yawned and leaned back on his seat, watching Atemu's eyes glowed in wonder each time the car passed by something new, swinging his bare feet above the car floor. Smiling peacefully, the old man closed his eyes.

"Your grandson… What's his name?" Atemu murmured.

"Yuugi," Sugoroku replied tiredly. "It means 'game' in Japanese."

Atemu blinked and turned to face the old man. "That's a strange name."

"It is, but it suits him well."

Suddenly, houses and fences began to appear on the side of the road. The afternoon sun illuminated the grey smoke in the sky. Looking ahead, Atemu could catch a glimpse of the shimmering lights in the distance. Hoping to see more, he stood and leaned over the front seat of the car. The driver didn't seem too happy about this as he harshly uttered something Atemu couldn't understand and swatted at the boy's head with one hand.

From behind, Sugoroku grabbed Atemu's new robe and dragged him back into the seat. "Be patient, Atemu. We're almost there."

"I'm sorry," Atemu whispered, staring intently out the window. "But I never thought… those photographs of cities were real."

The car suddenly came to a stop, and Atemu lowered the window, leaning outside of the car. Ahead of them, he could see even more cars passing by. The dark roads were not covered with sand, but smoothly paved. The people on the streets were all cleanly dressed with expensive-looking handbags at their sides. And the houses… they were like the houses seen on magazine covers.

As the car began to move again, Atemu fell back into his seat, his eyes still glued to a small child holding the hem of his mother's sleeve with one hand and a leash with a dog at the end with another. His heart raced at the thought of his own family, people he could love and live for. And perhaps one day, he could become successful in this unfair world…

Tall buildings now surrounded them, and as the sky darkened, the headlights of the cars around them began to flicker on. Sugoroku gently placed a hand on the boy's small shoulder, pointing to the most magnificent building of them all. "That's the headquarters of Kaiba Corporation. The richest man alive works in there. He designs most of the world's greatest technological weapons."

"What does he do with all the money he makes?" Atemu asked.

Sugoroku laughed. "Why, he builds more buildings, of course. Or he donates to certain organizations. Either way, it benefits his income or reputation. That's the way life works."

From the tone of the old man's voice, it was hard for Atemu to tell whether or not Sugoroku was kidding, but he hoped it was a joke. He watched silently as the car made a turn at the corner and came to a stop at a cozy-looking house with an odd design. A large metal sign above the door was written in a language Atemu couldn't understand, most likely Japanese.

"We're here," Sugoroku announced cheerfully. "I hope you like the house."

For a moment, Atemu stared dazedly at the strange house before his lips broke into a smile. "It looks wonderful."

"First thing we'll do is get you something to eat," Sugoroku said, leading the barefooted boy into the house through the glass doors. It made the old man want to kneel down and take the boy into his arms as Atemu gazed around at the various colorful objects on the shelves. It almost seemed as if the boy had finally found his haven. "This is the game shop I run," Sugoroku explained. "The house is further inside."

Before Sugoroku could even stick his key into the lock, a petite woman opened the door. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You came home earlier than you said you would."

Sugoroku's eyes widened in surprise. "Kyoko, I thought you left with Yuugi for your new house last week."

"I actually came here to ask you a favor," she said quickly. "I have to leave tomorrow morning and want you to take good care of Yuugi. My new husband isn't very fond of him."

Atemu listened to all of this curiously, and although he couldn't understand a word they were saying, he could tell it wasn't good news just by the look on Sugoroku's face. The woman hadn't noticed him yet, and he stood back a little further, just to make sure she _wouldn't_ notice him.

"No," Sugoroku said firmly. "Yuugi needs you with him. You can't just drop him off here and leave. You have to find a way to explain to your husband that Yuugi needs a proper family."

Kyoko's expression suddenly darkened. "You're not my father anymore," she whispered shakily. "And if you don't take Yuugi in, I'll just have to send him to a foster home because my husband doesn't want him in the house. And that's something neither of us want to happen."

Sugoroku shook his head sadly. "Where is he?" he asked.

"He's inside," Kyoko answered sharply. "So you'll take him?"

"I…" Sugoroku paused. "I'll think about it. But two boys might be a bit too much."

Kyoko raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Two boys? Who's the other boy?"

"Atemu?" Sugoroku turned around to find Atemu nowhere in sight. "Where are you?" he called in Arabic, searching around the shop. "Come out so Kyoko can meet you." He smiled as he found Atemu crouched behind the counter, looking through a kaleidoscope in wonder.

Atemu placed the kaleidoscope back where he found it before obediently walking out from his hiding place.

Kyoko suddenly gasped, backing into the wall in disgust. "What is _that_?" she shrieked, pointing a trembling finger in Atemu's direction. "He's absolutely repulsive! There is no way my son is living with that… that _thing_!"

Shamefully, Atemu lowered his eyes and turned away. Did he really look as terrible as the woman seemed to think he was?

"Don't talk about him that way," Sugoroku said sternly. "He's a gentle boy. He'll be fine once he eats something decent and takes a bath. I'm sure he'd make a great friend for Yuugi."

"Well," Kyoko said, containing herself, "I don't want him anywhere near Yuugi, and if you don't take him somewhere else by tomorrow morning, I will take Yuugi home with me and my husband will send our son to his new parents. And keep him off the floor I just cleaned." Without another word, she stomped into the house.

Frowning in frustration, Sugoroku picked out a pair of slippers for Atemu and took him into the living room. "Stay here," he ordered. "I'll be back in a moment, after I have a talk with Kyoko." He left the room, his footsteps echoing the spacious house.

The room was enormous, with several leather couches and a television. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, filling the room with shimmering lights.

And curled up on the corner of one of the couches was the most beautiful and realistic-looking doll Atemu had ever seen, gazing at him with those large amethyst eyes. It was wearing an outfit of soft blue material and holding one of those stuffed bears Atemu had seen children carrying around before. Suddenly, the doll blinked and turned away shyly, a lovely shade of pink spreading across its cheeks.

Atemu inhaled sharply as he realized the doll was a real boy, with silky curls of blond bangs kissing the milky skin. He had the urge to reach out and touch the boy, just to feel if he was as soft as he looked. Almost afraid he would scare the other boy away, Atemu cautiously made his way over to the couch until they were nearly face-to-face.

"_Murhuba_," Atemu murmured.

The boy blinked again and wiggled his little toes childishly, but he didn't respond. Nor did he back away.

Atemu desperately wanted to offer the boy something, or at least sit down next to him, but he didn't want his dirty robes to rub off on the couch. Feeling a little downhearted, he decided to walk around the room and see what he could find.

Several familiar objects immediately stood out: there were traditional Egyptian vases in each corner of the room and ancient Egyptian paintings were framed and hung all over the room. But a silver picture frame above the fireplace caught his attention. It was a photograph of a family, and Atemu immediately recognized the woman who answered the door as one of them. Next to her was a man who appeared to be Sugoroku, only with red hair and blond bangs.

__

That must be his son, Atemu thought sadly, running a hand through his own hair. _No wonder I caught his attention in the market._

In the woman's arms was a little baby with shining violet eyes and large red and blond curls. It was undoubtedly the same boy as the one sitting on the couch behind him, Sugoroku's grandson… _Yuugi_.

As Atemu turned around, he found Yuugi still peeking curiously at him from behind his stuffed bear. This time, Atemu managed a weak little wave.

And was rewarded with a sweet smile that warmed him from head to toe.

"I see you've found my grandson," Sugoroku said, standing at the doorway. "He's usually so quiet, our guests never notice him until I point him out. It turns out his mother wants me to take care of him, so…" The old man trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "Yuugi isn't as strong as other boys his age," he finally said in a low voice, even though Yuugi wouldn't be able to understand them anyway. "And his mother is concerned about having another boy in the house…"

Atemu looked down at his slippers uncomfortably. "I understand, sir. It's all right if you can just leave me on the streets. I really appreciate you bringing me to such a great city. Honestly."

"But I can't do that," Sugoroku said regretfully. "There are places for homeless children to live in Japan, and it's required for you to stay with the other children there. But you'll be able to go to school and eat three meals a day."

"Really?" Atemu asked in disbelief. "I can go to school? That's already more than I could hope for."

Sugoroku sighed in relief. "Okay, then. We'll leave for the orphanage tomorrow morning. I'm really sorry you can't live with my grandson and I, but you'll be able to see him in school. I…I'm sorry, Atemu. I wish you could stay with us…"

"You've already done all you could for me," Atemu said cheerfully. "Thank you."

"Well…" Sugoroku began, "I'm glad you're taking this so well. You can play games with Yuugi until Kyoko finishes making dinner. Don't be offended if he doesn't talk to you. He's naturally shy. And feel free to explore the house." He left quietly, closing the living room door behind him.

Atemu glanced at Yuugi again, but the boy wasn't there anymore. Looking around, he found Yuugi at the foot of the stairs, the large eyes still turned in his direction. In less than a second, the boy's tiny feet carried him up the stairs and out of sight. Was he running away?

Or did he want Atemu to follow?

Atemu stared at the polished wooden steps for a moment before making his way up the stairs. There were at least three doors at the top, but Yuugi had apparently left his door open, revealing a clean white room. Even the furniture was painted white. Boxes of toys were neatly piled up on one side of the room. On the other side was a small comfortable bed with clean white sheets, and sitting in the middle was Yuugi, still clutching his stuffed bear to his chest and watching Atemu closely.

Awkwardly, Atemu managed to open one of the toy boxes. Inside was another box containing small colorful plastic blocks, each with the same shape. Atemu reached in and pulled out two of them, snapping the pieces together. Never had he come across such convenient building blocks, one that wouldn't easily fall apart.

He could feel Yuugi's eyes on him. But it wasn't an uncomfortable kind of feeling. It made him feel important and worthwhile. Reaching into the box again, he pulled out another few pieces and snapped them together neatly. Maybe Yuugi would like it if he built something for him. He grinned at the thought, taking out the cardboard box and carefully placing it down on the floor.

Squatting above the floor so he wouldn't dirty the white carpet, Atemu began building. First, he made a bench big enough for both Yuugi and his teddy bear to sit on. Then, he made a sturdy little table and even took the time to make the edges rounded. And all this time, Yuugi sat wordlessly on his bed, his eyes glowing delightfully as the exotic new boy made his last finishing touches on the table.

Atemu admired his own handiwork for a moment before turning to see Yuugi's reaction. The warm feeling returned as Yuugi gave him another faint smile, just as lovely as the last one. Taking a deep breath, Atemu walked over to the bed and slowly reached for the boy's soft and pale hand. But he hesitated as his eyes landed on his own dark and grubby one, and he quickly pulled away before their hands could touch.

Just as he was about to leave Yuugi alone, a tiny warm hand landed on his arm, and he turned to find Yuugi's sad eyes searching his own.

"_Arigatou_," Yuugi whispered.

And Atemu nearly melted on the spot. He would suddenly have done anything to hear the same melodic voice again. Gently, he led the smaller boy over to the bench and motioned for him to sit. Yuugi blushed as he lowered himself onto the new bench and sat his stuffed bear next to him, his eyes never leaving Atemu's face.

Swallowing nervously, Atemu tried to think of what to do next.

It took him a moment to realize Yuugi had taken his hand in both his own and was pressing it lovingly against those smooth porcelain cheeks. And someone was coming upstairs. Atemu hoped to God it wasn't Yuugi's mother.

His fears were confirmed when a harsh palm came in contact with his arm, violently slapping his hand away from Yuugi's face.

Atemu lowered his head as the woman continued to hit him and yell at him in a foreign language, but made no effort to shrink away. Instead, he stood silently in place, holding back a wince each time the woman struck his arm. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Yuugi was still sitting on the bench and crying silently, wiping his tears away with a sleeve.

Suddenly, the yelling seemed to be redirected at someone else. Looking up, Atemu realized Sugoroku was pulling Yuugi's mother away. He bit his lip and wrapped his arms around himself, feeling unwanted. But when he glanced at Yuugi again, he found the boy's eyes hadn't left him.

- - -

Atemu wrapped the warm sheets tighter around himself. For the first time in his life, he could feel clean and sleep on a full stomach. His bath had left him warm and comfortable. Yuugi was still gazing at him sleepily from the other side of the room, buried under the fluffy covers. Atemu responded with a smile. Sugoroku must have somehow convinced Yuugi's mother to let him sleep in Yuugi's room.

The door lightly swung open and Yuugi's mother walked in, sitting down at the edge of Yuugi's bed. She tenderly brushed her son's curls from his face and pressed her lips against his forehead before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

A lump formed in Atemu's throat for the first time he could remember. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his chest as he sank his face into his pillow. For a long time, he remained in the same position, allowing his tears to slide onto the soft fabric.

He froze as a familiar hand lightly fell upon his shoulder.

"_Daijoubu_?" the soft voice asked. "_Yami?_"

Reluctantly, Atemu turned around and sat up. He could hardly see Yuugi's face in the dark, but he could hear the concern in the boy's voice. Suddenly, Yuugi reached up and cupped Atemu's tear-stained cheeks with both his hands.

"_Yami_…" A pair of soft lips brushed against Atemu's forehead. "…_oyasumi_."

Atemu has heard stories of falling in love, but never did he know this was what love felt like. Suddenly, everything seemed worthwhile; he had a reason to live. And he secretly promised himself that he would do whatever it took to make Yuugi happy.

- - -

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Murhuba (Arabic) - hello

__

Arigatou (Japanese) - thank you

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Daijoubu (Japanese) - all right (question: are you all right?)

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Oyasumi (Japanese) - good night

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Note: Wow… What a long chapter. I'm not even going to bother looking it over for mistakes. Maybe later. So much fluff, so much angst. I hope I successfully made Yami seem like a brave and smart little boy. And Yuugi into a loving and compassionate little boy. Hehehe. It's almost midnight, and I'm tired, so nothing special for the author's note today.

Yuugi - Awwwww, you suck.

Lanlan - Yes, sadly, I know.

Yami - Hey, I want to say something.

Lanlan - Okay, you just did. Good night, everyone! Or good morning, or whatever, depending on where you live.

Please review. It makes me happy to know people are actually reading my fanfics. Thank you. =]


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